Bulldozer.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. H. 0. MILLIES. BULLDOZER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1907.

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PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. H. (J. M-ILLIES.

BULLDOZER.

APPLICATION FILED .020. 30, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY C. MILLIES, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO SIMPLEX RAILWAY APPLIANCE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BULLDOZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed December 30, 1907. Serial No. 408,639.

r T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. MILLIEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bulldozers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention concerns improvements in bulldozers or pressing machines, and pertains more particularly and especially to machines of this character adapted for use in the manufacture of trussed railway car bolsters and brake beams.

My improved machine has a main bed or base at one end of which is a stationary stop or abutment against which the bolster or brake-beam is adapted to bear. Slidable on this bed toward and from the abutment and actuated by powerful gearing and connecting rods or bars is a member which as a whole might be termed a presser. This reciprocatory presser consists of a main body, a center block on the front face thereof, a pair of diverging arms hinged on the center block, and power-actuated hinged knuckles at the ends of the arms. This improved bulldozer is intended especially for pressing or forcing the tension member of the bolster or brake beam into shape and turning or bending its terminal portions or ends around those of the compression beam, whereby to secure a strong and efiective lock between the two. The fluid-actuated mechanisms for operating the knuckles are mounted on the arms which are adjustable both as to length and as to their angular relation so as to be capable of use in the roduction of bolsters or brake beams of di erent lengths, sizes and capacities. The operator controls not only the reciprocation of the presser, but also by the manipulation of a single air supply governing handle governs the simultaneous actuation of the hinged knuckles.

Other features of improvement and novelty will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of the machine and its operation taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and on the various views of which like reference characters refer to the same parts.

On the drawings-Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken just in front of the presser,

no bolster or brake-beam being in place; and Fig. 4is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

This improved machine comprises a base 10, rising om the top surface of one end of which is a pair of integral stops or abutments 11 strengthened and braced by the heavy webs or brackets 12, 12. A main strong body 13 is slidingly mounted on the top surface of the bed or base 10 and is actuated by mechanism located at the opposite end of the base from the pair of alined abutments 11, 11. In bearings on suitable brackets 14 a transverse drive shaft 15 is rotatably mounted and has thereon the loose and tight pulleys 1617. At its 0 posite outer ends shaft 15 is supplied with the pinions 18, each of which meshes with a comparatively large gear 19 on another transverse shaft 20, this latter shaft being also equipped with a pair of pinions 21 which mesh in turn with a pair of large gears 22 on the lower shaft 23. Each of the gears 22 has a wrist-pin 24 cooperating with which and suitably connected with the opposite outer ends of the main reciprocatory body 13 is a pair of connecting bars or rods 25. It is apparent, therefore, that this main body 13 is caused to slide and reciprocate by means of the power delivered to the shaft 15 through the pulley 17 and the inter mediate gearing and connecting rods.

Fastened to the central portion of the front face of this sliding block or member 13 is a center-block 26, between which and the main body 13 may be interposed, if desired or necessary, one or more shims or filler blocks 27. At the front end of this center block 26 there is hinged on the hinge pins or bolts 28 a pair of diverging arms 29 adjustable on whlch are the arm extensions 30. As is indicated in Fig. 4, these extensions 30 are of substantially channel shape, portions of each overlapping and underlying the corre sponding arm 29. It is quite immaterial what kind of adjusting means is used between the arms 29 and extensions 30 whereby the arms 29 in effect are varied in length, but in the present instance I have illustrated a plurality of bolts or pins 31 passing through holes in the arms 29 and also through a slot in the to portion of the extension 30, the lower en of the bolt or'pin fitting in one of a plurality of adjacent holes or apertures 32 in the lower flange or ortion of the extension. At the outer en of each of these arm extensions 30 I hinge at 33 a knuckle 34 havator then by ing at one end a curved finger 35* adapted to engage the end portion of the tension member of the structure being operated upon and bend the same around the end of its companion compression beam. It will be noticed that as the extensions 30 are adjusted on the arms 29 these knuckles are also adjusted. To operate these knuckles by means of fluid pressure, preferably compressed air, I provide for each of them a cylinder or chamber 35 within which reciprocates a piston joined to an end of the corresponding knuckle by a connecting bar or rod 36. The front faces of these chambers or cylinders 35 are adjustably bolted at 37 to the upstanding slotted flanges 38 of the arm extensions. At each end of the main sliding body 13 I fasten an adjustable wed e 38, the front portions of which are adjustab y connected at 39 to the back faces of the chambers or cylinders 35. At each of these connections a block 40 with a curved front a face receives a correspondingly-shaped portion of the cylinder or chamber 35, the latter of which is slotted and receives the bolt 41, which passes through a portion of the wedge and the block 40. It will be ap arent from this construction that the angu ar position of each of the chambers 35 relative to the Wedge may be varied as desired. The supply of compressed air and the exhaust of the air from this pair of chambers 35 occurs simultaneously and is governed by the actuation of a controlling handle 42 which by means of rods 43 and an intermediate rockerarm 44 is connected to the controlling valves of the two chambers or cylinders, whereby the operation of the knuckles is under the full control of the man having the machine in charge.

The operation of this machine is substantially as follows: The reciprocating presser having been drawn back by its actuating mechanism under the control of the operator, and a suitable beam or other filler 45 having been placed against the abutments 11, the cambered channel compression beam 46 of the bolster with the central strut 47 fastened thereto is placed, as indicated in Fig. 1, with the side bearings 48 in contact with the beam or filler 45, the central part of the bolster being afforded an abutment or stop by the fillers 49. A heated plate 50, which is to form the tension member of the bolster and which may be flat or somewhat bent, is placed in position against the end ofthe strut 47. The opermeans of a controlling handle, not illustrated, shifts the driving belt from the loose pulley 16 to the tight pulley l7, whereupon during the rotation ofthe shafts and gears the connecting rods or bars 25 push the entire presser toward the incompleted bolster. Either the knuckles or the front faces of the arm'extensions 3O strike the tension member, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and bend the same around the strut until the ends of the tension member engage the ends of the channel compression beam. This relation of the parts corresponds to the extreme movement of the presser toward the bolster, and when the parts have assumed the relations indicated the reciprocation or movement of the presser is temporarily stopped. The operator then by actuating the handle 42 admits compressed air to the cylinders or chambers 35 which forces their pistons outwardly, rocking the knuckles 34 on the hinge pins 33 and bending the ends of the tension member around the ends of the com ression member, as is clearly shown inful lines in Fig. 1. Further manipulation of the handle 42 controls the air supply and exhaust so that the knuckles are caused to turn on their pins and assume their former positions, which frees them entirely from the bolster around which they had previously been hooked. The presser and its numerous parts is then caused to recede, after which the completed bolster may be readily lifted out of the ma chine and removed therefrom.

Different lengths of bolsters require differently shaped tension members, and in order that a machine of this kind may be suitable for use in the manufacture of all kinds and capacities of such bolsters, I have used the shims or filler blocks 27, more or less of which would be employed, according to the length and shape of the bolster to be oper ated upon. It will be noted that any change in the number of shims or filler blocks modifies the angle between the pivoted presser arms, and in order that this change of angle may be accomplished, the adjustable rocking connection described above between the chambers 35 and the wedges is provided.

Although I have described in detail one preferred and desirable embodiment of my invention, it is not to be understood that the invention is limited strictly to this precise structure, the details of which may be modified within wide limits without departure from the substance of my invention or the sacrifice of any of its benefits and advantages.

I claim:

1. In a bulldozer for bolsters, brake-beams, and the like, the combination of a main bed or support, an abutment against which the compression member of the bolster or brake-beam is manufacturing car -adapted to bear, a presser slidable on said main bed toward and from said abutment and adapted to press the tension member of the bolster or brake-beam into sha e, means to reci rocate said presser, knuck es hinged on said presser and adapted to bend the ends of the tension member of the bol ster or brake-beam around the ends of the compression member, and fluidactuated means to turn said knuckles carried by said presser, substantially as described.

2. In a bulldozer for manufacturing car bolsters, brakebeams, and the like, the combination of a main bed or support, an abutment against Which the compression member of the bolster or brake-beam is adapted to bear, a reciprocating main body on said bed or support, a center-block on the front of said main body, arms hinged to said centerblock, knuckles hinged to said arms, and fluid-operated knuckle-actuating means fastened to said arms, whereby the tension member of the car bolster or brake-beam may be pressed into shape and its ends bent around the ends of the compression member, substantially as described.

3. In a bulldozer for manufacturing car bolsters, brake-beams, and the like, the combination of a main bed or support, an abutment against which the compression member of the bolster or brake-beam is adapted to bear, a main body slidable on said bed or support toward and from said abutment, a center-block on the front of said body, arms hinged to said center-block, knuckles hinged to said arms, fluid-operated knuckle-actuating means fastened to said arms, and wedges between said knuckle-actuating means and the main sliding body, whereby the tension member of a car bolster or brake-beam may be pressed into shape and its ends bent around the ends of the compression member, substantially as described.

4. I11 a bulldozer for manufacturing car bolsters, brake-beams, and the like, the combination of a main bed or support, an abutment against which the compression member of the bolster or brake-beam is adapted to bear, a presser slidable on said main bed toward and from said abutment and adapted to press the tension member of the bolster or brake-beam into shape, means to reciprocate said presser, knuckles hinged on said presser and adapted to bend the ends of the tension member of the bolster or brake-beam around the ends of the compression member, fluidactuated means carried by said presser and adapted to turn said knuckles, and means to simultaneously control the operation of said fluid-actuated means, substantially as de scribed.

5. In a bulldozer for manufacturing car bolsters, brake-beams, and the like, the combination of a main bed or support, an abutment against which the compression member of said bolster or brake-beam is adapted to bear, a main body slidable on said bed or support toward and from said abutment, a center-block attached to the front of said slidable body, one or more shims or filler-blocks between said slidable main body and said center-block, arms hinged to said centerblock, knuckles hinged on said arms, fluidoperated knuckle-actuating means fastened. to said arms, wedges between said knuckleactuating means and said main sliding body, and means adjustably connecting said knuckle-actuating means to said wedges permitting changes of their angular relation, substantially as described.

6. In a bulldozer for manufacturing car bolsters, brake-beams, and the like, the combination of a main bed or support, an abut ment against which the compression member of the bolster or brake-beam is adapted to bear, a-main body slidable on said bed or support toward and from said abutment, a center-block fastened to the front of said main slidable body, one or more shims or filler blocks between said center-block and said main body, arms hinged to said center-block, arm extensions mounted on said arms and adjustable lengthwise thereof, knuckles hinged to the outer ends of said arms, fluidoperated knuckle-actuating means fastened to said arm extensions, wedges between said knuckle-actuating means and said main slidable body, and adjustable connections between said knuckle-actuating means and said wedges permitting changes in their angular relation, substantially as described.

HENRY C. MILLIES.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK O. GoonwlN, WALTER M. FULLER. 

